{Happy Friday}

As we go into this weekend, let's remember that Easter is coming!

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

John 12:13 NIV

^{Have a lovely weekend, friends!}

{Bathroom Printables}

As I have said many times before, the hubby and I are re-designing our bathrooms on a shoestring budget.  This especially goes for all things decorative.  Kevin is such a man...he sees no need for decoration.  I, on the other hand, LIVE for this part of the process!

Since my decorating funds are so tight, I decided to try my hand at designing some of these cute little printables that are taking over Pinterest and Etsy.  I wanted something that would be fun, pop art-ish, and easy for my 5 year old to read.  I am so pleased with how these prints turned out.  The boys love them, so I am beyond happy!

Feel free to download them for yourself.  They are high resolution images and should print well.  I actually sent mine to my professional printer, so that the paper quality and color are better.  I recommend Mpix.  I use their sister company Millers Professional Imaging for all of my Angel Kisses Photography print orders, and just adore them!  All you have to do is right click on the image and save.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

{Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic Spray Paint}

Our house has approximately 5 different finishes scattered throughout.  I really did not think it was that bad (or I just chose to ignore it). Then one day, I decided to check it out.  I was horrified!  I am all about the little details.  When we started our bathroom project, the OCD version of me had a massive hissy fit for two reasons:

1) We have a billion different outlets, A/C vent covers, door knobs and hinges.  The time that would be spent changing these things out would be ridiculous.

2) The cost of replacing all of those items would be astronomical!  Of course, my favorite happens to be an oil rubbed bronze finish.  This is also the most expensive in most stores. Womp womp.

Enter Rust-Oleum's Universal Satin Metallic Spray Paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze...

This little $7.28 can of spray paint is really a thing of joy!  One can has beautified every item on my wish list and then some. 

Now, we went a little crazy with the spray paint.  I found a chrome faucet with a really great shape at Home Depot for $22.00.  A similar ORB version was a whopping $80.00...Crazy!  That's a big difference, so we figured we would give it a shot.  We sanded the faucet down really well and then spray painted the heck out of it.  After it was dry, we lightly sanded it again and added another coat of paint.  It looked great for the first couple of weeks, but now has a few chips here and there.  We are making it work for now.  The great thing is, that we can just do a little touch up when needed.  Hopefully, in a month or so, Kevin will let me buy the real thing.  A girl can dream!

Fake It Til You Make It, Right?!?!  I am perfectly fine with that.  Anything is better than the situation we were dealing with before!

Here are some after shots.....

REVIEW: Rust-Oleum's Universal Metallic Spray Paint might have just saved my sanity!  For things like light switches and outlet covers, it works great!  The finish is perfect.  You would seriously never know it was spray paint.  We have been very pleased with the finish and durability on those items.  On the faucets, the durability is not as impressive.  But, hey, it was certainly worth a shot.  And, it's given us some more time to save for the real deal.

{If you want to see more of our renovation photos, follow us on Instagram at #theburtchsrenovate}

{Content}

Photo Source

 

^7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
    is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
    I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

^9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
    and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
    that’s not my destination!

¹¹ Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
    all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
    I’m on the right way.

Psalm 16:8-11 (MSG)

{Fasting, Prayer and a Little Music}

Photo Source

Ever had one of those days when you feel like you have so many balls in the air, that you just know one is going to come crashing down? Yep...I know I have!  I am there right now.  These are some life-changing decisions we are contemplating, but PRAISE JESUS that they are all great decisions to be faced with.  Whenever we are preparing to make these decisions, we fast and pray.  It's funny that these seasons in my life always happen right around Easter.  Every year, for the past 3 years, we have done the Daniel Fast leading up to Easter.  Looking back, I can see how the Lord really began to reveal his plans to us, and really started to stir our hearts during the Daniel Fast.  The seasons have stretched my faith, and challenged us as a family.  I have had to reign my anxiety in, relinquish control and trust HIM!  The great thing is, that God's already got it worked out!  I wholeheartedly, passionately believe this!

This morning, as my mind was racing, I heard Chris Tomlin's song, "Whom Shall I Fear", on the radio.  The chorus says exactly what I needed to hear.  I love God's heart, and how he speaks through others:

I know Who goes before me

I know Who stands behind

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side

The One who reigns forever

He is a Friend of mine

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side

 

Don't you love that?!?!  If you are wrestling with a big decision, or just feeling plain defeated, I encourage you to take a couple of minutes and listen to this song.  It reminds me that Jesus is on my side, is fighting for me, and passionately loves me.  I pray it does the same for you! 

Happy Wednesday, Friends!



{DIY: Rust-Oleum Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit}

Better late than never...right???  It is a well know fact that I loathed our yellow bathtub, shower and counter tops.  They were seriously the bane of my existence.  However, our tight budget on the bathroom renovations did not allow for us to replace them.  So, we got crafty, did some research and found the  Rust-Oleum 1 Qt. White Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit.  These kits allow you to refinish the bathroom surfaces with a durable, high gloss epoxy acrylic paint.  We watched tons of Youtube how-to videos and read about a thousand reviews before we pulled the trigger and purchased the kits from Home Depot.  They are not currently available in store, so you can check them out HERE.  We are trying to take care of both bathrooms at the same time (crazy, I know).  We ended up purchasing four kits, which have taken care of a bathtub, shower stall, and 2 counter tops.  We were able to take care of 2 coats on all surfaces.  I would have liked to do a third coat for good measure, but we needed a functioning bathroom ASAP.  So, if needed, we can always go back and add that last coat.

Here is the process that worked for us:

Step 1: Clean, Clean, Clean!  We used a hefty dose of Comet to get a really good clean on all of the surfaces.

Step 2: Give the surfaces a good sanding with a fine grit sand paper.  According to Kevin, this was his least favorite part, but it makes a BIG difference in the end result.

Step 3: Pull out the painters tape and tape off all of the surfaces.  If this product gets on your walls or cabinets, it's not coming off any time soon.  Be sure to secure the tape, and you should be good to go.

Step 4: Mix the materials as instructed on the box.  FYI - the smell is pretty intense.  We are fortunate and have an attic fan.  We did this on a nice, warmer day, so we were able to turn it on and cut back on the fumes.  If you have children, you may want to get them out of the house for the day, open the windows and wear a surgical mask.  Seriously...it's tough to take in.  The smell doesn't stick around for too long, though.

Step 5: Start painting the first coat.  We used a foam roller and foam brushes for a more even finish.  I was a little wary after we finished the first coat.  I seemed a little spotty, and like the coverage wasn't going to be great or even.  The first coat dries super quick, so you do not have to wait a long time to start on the second coat...maybe 1 to 2 hours.

  

Step 6: It's time for the second coat of paint.  This will make all the difference in the world!  Once the second coat goes on, you will forget about the crazy color of your old tub or tile or counter top.  It's like magic!

Step 7: We let this paint dry overnight...just to make sure.

Step 8: Remove the painters tape.  Kevin used an x-acto knife to do this.  We wanted the edges to be sharp, so we didn't just rip it off the walls, like we tend to do with regular wall paint.  It was a tedious and careful task, but the edges turned out perfectly!

Here are the after photos of the bathtub and counter top:

REVIEW:  The Rust-Oleum Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit was awesome!  The price is great and we are very pleased with the results.  Are the surfaces 100% perfect?  No, there are a few spots where bubbles dried in the paint.  But, those are few and far between.  Honestly, I don't think you could notice, unless you did a detailed inspection.  I will do an update in a few months to let y'all know how it is holding up.  Fingers crossed!!!

COST: $103.88 (4 units @ $25.97 each + free shipping)